Scope of Programs

Elementary

JA’s elementary school programs are the foundation of its K-12 curricula. Five sequential themes; work to change students’ lives by helping them understand business and economics.

Gr. K - Ourselves^® uses compelling stories read aloud by the volunteer, along with hands-on activities, to demonstrate helping, working, earning, and saving. Five required volunteer-led activities.

Gr. 1- Our Families^® emphasizes the roles people play in the local economy and engages students with activities about needs, wants, jobs, tools and skills, and interdependence. Five required volunteer-led activities.

Gr. 2 - Our Community^® explores the interdependent roles of workers in a community, the work they perform, and how communities work. Five required volunteer-led activities.

Gr. 3 - Our City^® studies careers, the skills people need to work in specific careers, and how businesses contribute to a city. Five required volunteer-led activities.

Gr. 4 - Our Region^® introduces the relationship between the natural, human, and capital resources found in different regions and explores regional businesses that produce goods and services for consumers. Five required, volunteer-led activities.

Grade 5 - Our Nation^® - REVISED in 2008! practical information about businesses’ need for individuals who can meet the demands of the job market, including high-growth, high-demand jobs. Introduces the concept of globalization of business as it relates to production materials and the need for students to be entrepreneurial in their thinking to meet the requirements of high-growth, high-demand careers worldwide.

Middle

JA’s middle grades programs for students in grades 6-9 include economics and business curricula and a capstone experience. The dynamic interaction between the volunteer and students promotes active learning and brings theory to life.

Gr. 6 - JA Global Marketplace™ provides practical information about the global economy and its effect on students' lives. Six volunteer-led activities.

JA America Works™provides students with examples of how business and entrepreneurship affected the economic development of the United States during the 19th century. Six required, volunteer-led activities.

JA Economics for Success™ explores personal finance and students’ education and career options based on their skills, interests, and values. It also demonstrates the economic benefits of staying in school. Six required, volunteer-led activities.

JA Global Marketplace™ provides practical information about the global economy and its effect on students’ lives. Six required volunteer-led activities.

JA P.A.S.S. provides meaningful instruction that raises awareness of the vast range of career opportunities in the sports industry, as well as engages students in learning more about the nature of business and the importance of education. Four required, volunteer/teacher led activities

JA Urban Enterprise is an economics and business related program where young people create and run their own business over the course of 8 – 10 weeks. Students work together in after school sites, community centers, clubs, or in school classes to apply principles of economics as they solve real business problems. The program can be implemented wherever there are young people interested in learning about free enterprise and can be adapted to fit the needs of the students, program duration, and site location. Eight-Ten, volunteer-led activities.

High

JA’s high school programs for students in grades 9-12 include economic and business curricula, after-school student-led enterprise, and a one-day workplace capstone experience. The dynamic interaction between the volunteer and students promotes active learning and brings theory to life.

JA Economics™ examines the fundamental concepts of micro-, macro-, and international economics. Eight required, teacher/volunteer-led activities.

JA Success Skills™ develops students’ interpersonal effectiveness and problem-solving skills necessary for the workplace. Eight required volunteer-led activities.

JA Titan™ introduces critical economics and management decisions through an interactive web-based simulation. Eight required volunteer-led activities.

JA Banks In Action™ teaches high school students the principles of the banking industry, and introduces them to the challenges of successfully operating a bank in a competitive environment.

JA Business Ethics™ fosters ethical decision-making in students as they prepare to enter the workforce and global marketplace.

JA Careers with a Purpose™ introduces students to the importance of seeking careers that help them realize their life potential and noble purpose. The program demonstrates the importance of positive values, life maxims, and ethical decision-making within the context of career and life decisions.

JA Presents The NEFE High School Financial Planning Program™ – five JA volunteer-led “wrap-around” lessons that build upon elements introduced in the NEFE High School Financial Planning Program which is taught by the teacher.

After-School

JA More than Money™ teaches students in grades 3-5 about earning, spending, sharing, and saving money, and businesses they can start or jobs they can perform to earn money. Six required, after-school, volunteer-led activities.

JA It’s My Business!™ encompasses entrepreneurship curriculum for students in grades 6-8. The program emphasizes entrepreneurship while providing a strong focus on social studies, reading, and writing skills. Students are encouraged to use critical thinking to learn entrepreneurial skills that support positive attitudes as they explore and enhance their career aspirations. Six required after-school volunteer-led activities.

JA Company Program™ for students in grades 9-12, analyzes and explores personal opportunities and responsibilities within a student-led enterprise. Eight required, after-school volunteer-led activities as a supplement; 15 as a stand-alone.

Capstone

JA Academy–after school program held at local colleges and universities where high school students from different schools come together to develop and run an actual business using the JA Company Curriculum. Students also learn about business ethics, goal setting, college admissions procedures, compete for awards and scholarships, hold board meetings at corporations, benefit from lectures from top CEO’s and more.

JA Job Shadow™ introduces students in grades 8-12 to careers through one-day, on-site orientations in the workplace. In-school teacher-led activities; pre- and post-on-site experience.